Classification Board Report - Aliens Vs Predator

Post by Steve Farrelly @ 12:42pm 04/12/09 | 53 Comments

AusGamers has been sent the official Classification Board report for the very recently RC'd Aliens Vs. Predator.

We have the full PDF available for you to look at here, but the main point of contention with the game is cited as containing a "first-person perspective, (with) close up depictions of human characters being subjected to various types of violence, including explicit decapitation and dismemberment as well as locational damage such as stabbing through the chest, throat, mouth or eyes". They go on to point out "the Predator collect "Trophies" by explicitly ripping off human heads, their spinal columns dangling from severed necks. Heads can be twisted completely around in order to break a character's neck. Eyes can be stabbed through or gauged, leaving empty, bloodied eye sockets."

Thus all of this leaving the game RC'd, or as the Board put it; "In the opinion of the Board, the violence in the game causes a high playing impact due to its first-person, close-up perspective, conceptual nature and the level of explicit detail involved in the depictions. The game is therefore unsuitable for a minor to see or play and should be refused classification."

Grab the whole document to check it out for yourself, but so much of what they mentioned happened in Dead Space death sequences and Resident Evil 5, among other games, clearly branded MA 15+ ratings, with no objections from the board. The review process is a sticky one at best, and it's something we're looking deeper into.

aliens vs predator classification board report

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Latest Comments

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Steve Farrelly
Posted 12:48pm 04/12/09

So I have a theory. Given how much Atkinson actually seems to dislike the Classification Board, and it's looking harsher and harsher for games to get through, it could be that they're RC'ing games in an effort to ire gamers into an eventual frenzy, sparking, among other things, a call for leadership change in the SA Attorney General seat, and also the creation of an R 18+ rating. I know that's somewhat outlandish, but also, eerily makes a little sense...

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Scooter
Posted 12:55pm 04/12/09

It seems like everyone is turning into Faceman these days.

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Seven
Posted 01:12pm 04/12/09

I am still perplexed why we don't have an R18+ rating.

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Dazhel
Posted 01:15pm 04/12/09

we would surely have one by now if some south australian political knob wasn't blocking it at every opportunity.

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Hogfather
Posted 01:15pm 04/12/09

Because of the children, obviously.

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XaartaX
Posted 01:17pm 04/12/09

Because if there was an R rating then kids would get hold of R rated games. Now that R-rated games are refused classification they can't be sold and that means kids can't get the games.

Well so says Michael Atkinson.

Forget the fact that kids get hold of alcohol underage, drugs underage, cigarettes underage, porn underage and so on.

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Vash
Posted 01:17pm 04/12/09

Can someone forfeit their life and kill this senator? please?

Even if we organise a huge protest at his doorway, all the nerds will rely on someone else to do it and we'll end up with only a handful of people.

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Steve Farrelly
Posted 01:22pm 04/12/09

As mentioned in another thread, we might not have to due to potential corruption

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Tim Tibbetts
Posted 01:23pm 04/12/09

I would like to add some fuel to the fire and add with graphics becoming more and more realistic, the next generation of games/consoles will probably see a far larger amount of games which are refused classification because they will be more realistic.

This issue is only going to become bigger, and guess what, everyone will just import the stuff as we all feel it's so absurd.

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Seven
Posted 01:29pm 04/12/09

Forget the fact that kids get hold of alcohol underage, drugs underage, cigarettes underage, porn underage and so on.

THAT's why I'm confused. Movies come in R18+ too. An 18 y.o. can even buy a physical knife, but no 18 yr old can buy a digital game with violence?

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XaartaX
Posted 01:32pm 04/12/09

Oh yer forgot movies =)

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FraktuRe
Posted 01:33pm 04/12/09

I'd like to see the board RC every game that really, should be 18+. At the moment it's simply enough RC'd games to be an annoyance, but not enough to get people to do something about it.

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shade
Posted 01:39pm 04/12/09

I havent been effected so far by game bans because they happened to have been games I wasn't interested in anyway. but there is no way in hell I am not playing AvP because some politician thinks I am suddenly going to go out ripping peoples spines out. The other 2 games were awesome shooters. order from asia.

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Vash
Posted 01:47pm 04/12/09

ordering overseas is all well and good, but if you want to play multiplayer, most aussie games wont buy it so there is no-one to play with. f***ed up situation.

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Twisted
Posted 02:40pm 04/12/09

Can someone forfeit their life and kill this senator? please?

Well he's not a Senator, he's the Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Veterans' Affairs. I dunno if you should request someone be killed on a public forum...especially the AG :P

last edited by Twisted at 14:40:07 04/Dec/09

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re so
Posted 02:41pm 04/12/09

Dumb comments like that probably help him to think he is making the right call.

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MatchFixa
Posted 03:26pm 04/12/09

If anyone does decide to take up the offer of killing him, make sure it's L4D2 style, the uncensored version.

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Hyperslide
Posted 03:26pm 04/12/09

It might be a dumb comment but I do see a point ...remove the person who is the driver for refusal and it will probably get through in the end

Guess we will have to wait for him to either retire or die (of natural causes) doubt it will be too long he looks like a old fart ne ways !! and I am sure all the negative energy gamers send his way has it toll :)

@ Twisted - Very interesting I didn't know he had his finger in so many pies ... notice how all the areas he is in charge of are all the backward and corrupted parts of government . (I can tell you from experience veterans affairs is one seriously f***ed up government department) and lets not even get started on Multicultural Affairs or Justice.

@ Michael Atkinson hurry up and retire you have passed ur use by date !

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Mr.Bumpy
Posted 06:32pm 04/12/09

I find this quote hilarious:

"In the opinion of the Board, the violence in the game causes a high playing impact due to its first-person, close-up perspective, conceptual nature and the level of explicit detail involved in the depictions. The game is therefore unsuitable for a minor to see or play and should be refused classification."

So the game is unsuitable for a minor even though it's not intended for minors? It's like complaining that Twilight is a sucky movie 'cause it doesn't appeal to the macho in you.

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Eds
Posted 06:39pm 04/12/09

It's like complaining that Twilight is a sucky movie 'cause it doesn't appeal to the macho in you.

Its a sucky movie because VAMPIRES DONT SPARKLE YOU F*****! :P

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natslovR
Posted 07:41pm 04/12/09

everything described by the board pretty much happened in the first Predator movie.

My little brother saw that movie when he was about 10 years old. I felt really bad for him having seen it as he was genuinely scared by it.

I think, because someone who's 10 got to see that level of violence in a movie, that there's not enough safeguards in place. Any kid can pick up a VHS tape with a cool looking cover from the bookshelf at a friends place and put it on their tellie when they aren't being fully supervised - the parents may be hosting a party and think the children are upstairs playing Pool.

Because of this risk, and it's an actual risk not a theoretical risk, no movies should be allowed to be sold that rate higher than G.

Adults cant be trusted to safe guard this content, so it should only be permitted to be screened in cinemas where all ID can be checked.

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Khel
Posted 07:52pm 04/12/09

So the game is unsuitable for a minor even though it's not intended for minors? It's like complaining that Twilight is a sucky movie 'cause it doesn't appeal to the macho in you.

So what do you propose they should have done? I think its pretty easy to agree with their assessment that its not for minors, so shouldn't be given an M rating, it should be given an R rating. Yet, their hands are tied, they have no R rating to give, so they RC it.

While yeah, the board does seem a bit inconsistent with their decisions, and they seem to be cracking down a bit harder lately on violence, I'd be aiming my criticism more at the people who are tying the board's hands by denying them the ability to give any classification higher than M15+.

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Anonyname
Posted 11:02pm 04/12/09

The previews I've read for the game all sounded pretty optimistic, I was just starting to get excited about this one...

I think everyone saw that coming. I wonder if they'll offer a censored version for sale in Australia, or if we'll just miss out altogether. I don't want to buy it from overseas if there won't be a decent Australian playerbase for multiplayer antics.

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Infidel
Posted 11:55pm 04/12/09

seems get more backwards everday in Aus :/

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reLapse
Posted 12:05am 05/12/09

This is just getting too much.

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Tim Tibbetts
Posted 07:20am 05/12/09

There will not be a censored version, so you will miss out totally unless you import.

UK developer Rebellion has emphatically stated that it will not be producing an edited version of its upcoming Aliens vs Predator to appease classification boards who ban the game.

...and there you have it.
Source

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Ospi
Posted 02:03pm 05/12/09

Good on them.

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greazy
Posted 03:42pm 05/12/09

So I have a theory. Given how much Atkinson actually seems to dislike the Classification Board, and it's looking harsher and harsher for games to get through, it could be that they're RC'ing games in an effort to ire gamers into an eventual frenzy, sparking, among other things, a call for leadership change in the SA Attorney General seat, and also the creation of an R 18+ rating. I know that's somewhat outlandish, but also, eerily makes a little sense...

This isn't as outlandish as you think it is. I've said it before, the best way to get an 18+ rating is for companies (and not consumers) to complain and if companies are losing money then they're going to complain for sure.

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gamer
Posted 05:38pm 05/12/09

UK developer Rebellion has emphatically stated that it will not be producing an edited version of its upcoming Aliens vs Predator to appease classification boards who ban the game.

YAY!!! ABOUT TIME devs didnt cater to the bulls*** that is prohibition of their games. Awsome. I'll still get this game from over seeas and this SA f***** that bans decent games because hes to dumb to introduce a R18+ rating can suffer the wrath of all the industries he is f*****g over with his decisions. Lets hear it for supporting america/europe's economy before our own!!!!

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fpot
Posted 05:44pm 05/12/09

I say we commit random acts of wanton violence until Atkinson starts to listen to us.

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HyperJ
Posted 06:41pm 05/12/09

If anyone does decide to take up the offer of killing him, make sure it's L4D2 style, the uncensored version.

Censored style would be better, then there would be no body as evidence....

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HERMITech
Posted 07:07pm 05/12/09

because ~~hes to~~ he's too dumb

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HurricaneJim
Posted 09:56am 06/12/09

Actually the CEO of Rebellion, Jason Kingsley, stated;

We will not be releasing a sanitized or cut down version for territories where adults are not considered by their governments to be able to make their own entertainment choices.

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Geyejoe
Posted 12:35am 08/12/09

they RC a game to protect the "minors" ha ha ha, what a load they wonder why there are so many pirates. all i can say is i don't shop in aus anymore for games, the guys operating out of HK for half the price have the biz. all legit EU made games with R18 ratings.

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Tollaz0r!
Posted 02:23am 08/12/09

Having RC on a game isn't an excuse to pirate it. You can still import it from overseas with little hassle and is often cheaper for you anyway.

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skythra
Posted 03:28am 08/12/09

with little hassle and is often cheaper for you anyway.

While true, it isn't necessarily legal. (Not that they are going to open up your package to check just because one knob cares.)

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Khel
Posted 09:36am 08/12/09

I thought this had been discussed before and we found out it was legal to import them? That RC just means its not allowed to be sold in Australia, but theres no laws against owning it.

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Raider
Posted 11:28am 08/12/09

Welcome to more people buying from over seas and f*****g over our own businesses, way to go. But yer.. doesn't really stop anyone wanting this game.. getting the game.

Just shows u can be retarded and still be a polly

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Twisted
Posted 12:09pm 08/12/09

UK developer Rebellion has emphatically stated that it will not be producing an edited version of its upcoming Aliens vs Predator to appease classification boards who ban the game.

Good stuff! Hope more companies adopt this. The only way to get change made is to hurt the bottom line of business. No one cares until people are losing money. I'll be ordering this from over seas for sure.

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Dazhel
Posted 12:33pm 08/12/09

As much as I'd like to believe Rebellion is championing the R18+ classification cause, it's more likely they just made a business call on the expected sales in the AU region against costs it would take to gimp the violence levels down.

Because the game looks awesome most adults are willing to order from overseas and bypass the stupid restrictions anyway, modifying the game itself to match our MA15+ level may have just got thrown in the too hard basket.

Finally, release a press statement that takes a swipe and points the finger at the nasty censors - win/win!

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darkjedi
Posted 12:39pm 08/12/09

Whilst on the topic of our friend from SA, Darren Wells (Deputy Editor of Hyper Magazine) rung the Classification Board today to see what the status of Atkinson's intended appeal against Modern Warfare 2's MA15+.

Surprise, surprise: No appeal has been received.

Anyone shocked?

Source.

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Mr.Bumpy
Posted 06:57pm 08/12/09

So the game is unsuitable for a minor even though it's not intended for minors? It's like complaining that Twilight is a sucky movie 'cause it doesn't appeal to the macho in you.
So what do you propose they should have done? I think its pretty easy to agree with their assessment that its not for minors, so shouldn't be given an M rating, it should be given an R rating. Yet, their hands are tied, they have no R rating to give, so they RC it.

While yeah, the board does seem a bit inconsistent with their decisions, and they seem to be cracking down a bit harder lately on violence, I'd be aiming my criticism more at the people who are tying the board's hands by denying them the ability to give any classification higher than M15+.

You've got to agree the justification in that line of the report is ridiculous. A minor can't be trusted to drive a car, does that mean the government should ban cars, too?

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Khel
Posted 07:56pm 08/12/09

Nobody is explicitly banning games though, its a bit of a misnomer really to call them banned. Its just that they cannot be classified under our antiquated classification system, and its illegal to sell a game in Australia that has not been classified. End result, games that don't fit in MA15+ can't be sold here. But I think it conjures up the wrong idea to say that the board is banning games, cos they're really not doing that.

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euphoria
Posted 08:10pm 08/12/09

^ lol, wat?

sophistry, semantics, and other words starting with 's'.

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Hogfather
Posted 08:16pm 08/12/09

haha Khel you're a big silly

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Midda
Posted 08:20pm 08/12/09

What Khel is saying is absolutely right. It's silly to say they're banned, because they're not. If they were banned, we'd get in trouble for owning them, which we don't. They're not illegal, they just don't meet the requirements they need in order to be sold in the country. If they were completely banned, you'd get fined or arrested for importing.

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greazy
Posted 08:35pm 08/12/09

like mr euphoria said, semantics.

they're banned, whether banned from selling or owning or both, they still fall under the banner of BAND!

last edited by greazy at 20:35:29 08/Dec/09

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Hogfather
Posted 09:06pm 08/12/09

They're banned from sale due to being refused classification, silly billy.

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whoop
Posted 09:35pm 08/12/09

t could be that they're RC'ing games in an effort to ire gamers into an eventual frenzy, sparking, among other things, a call for leadership change in the SA Attorney General seat, and also the creation of an R 18+ rating.

More like they're trying to piss gamers off so someone goes on a rampage and they can go point at them & say hey look see? this is what games do they make you violent this is why we won't allow this stuff in our country aren't we great?

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Martz
Posted 10:08pm 08/12/09

who said M rated games are suitable for minors? they may aswell remove the M rating from the classification system.

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taggs
Posted 10:18pm 08/12/09

pretty sure 15, 16 and 17 year olds are still minors, hey champ

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Martz
Posted 11:53pm 08/12/09

i was thinking of younger than 15, you know, 14,13,12 etc doh

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Dan
Posted 12:14am 09/12/09

^ lol, wat?

sophistry, semantics, and other words starting with 's'.

Sure, the banned vs refused classification thing is just semantics because obviously they result in the same end for the consumer.

But I think the point he's getting at though is that it's wrong to point the finger at the classification board - they're just doing their job within the lines that they're permitted to work in. IMO if anything, they've been too lenient and let many games through that they really shouldn't have.

The problem lays squarely with the lack of an R18+ rating and the people that stand in the way of that - and none of those people appear to be on the Classification Board.

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